NFL writer defends Seahawks' swap of Geno Smith for Sam Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks took a calculated risk this offseason. They traded Geno Smith for a third-round pick, a player who'd been good for them for the last three years but is getting older. They then signed Sam Darnold to a three-year deal, a player who has mostly been bad but broke out last season and is much younger.

The swap is essentially banking on Darnold being better in the long run, as Smith is in his mid-30s and Darnold is still in his 20s. It's a move for the long term, and Nick Wright said it was a mistake right now. However, Seahawks writer Lee Vowell of FanSided disagrees.

Seahawks writer claims Geno Smith-Sam Darnold swap is fine

Nick Wright's main gripe with the Seahawks' decision to swap out QBs is that they got worse at the position and didn't get cheaper. Lee Vowell said, "Darnold isn't just as expensive as Smith; he is less so. Seattle's new QB1 signed a three-year deal worth a maximum of $100.5 million, but there is no guaranteed money in years two and three. Should he not work out, the Seahawks could let him go after one season and for a total of $37.5 million."

He also noted that Smith has $66 million guaranteed, which makes him far more costly than Darnold. Should Darnold get paid the $100.5 million, then he will have earned it by playing well, and that's a cost no team would hate paying.

Vowell also pointed out that Smith seems to be getting more appreciation now that he's gone, because some around the Seahawks were unhappy with how the QB played last year. He admitted that Darnold has similar turnover faults to Smith, but that hindsight seems to be giving Smith the benefit here, when only time will truly tell.